Cape wrestlers flip the script on St. Georges

Vikings will wrestle top-seeded Salesianum in semifinals

Earning big wins for Cape in the 44-22 victory over St. Georges are (l-r) Blake Walker, Tripp Gannon, Carson Tuer and Yusuf Smith. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS

Dave Frederick

February 12, 2026

Four Cape wrestlers flipped the script at St. Georges Tech Feb. 11, as the Vikings stunned the Hawks 44-22 in the quarterfinal round of the Division I state dual meet championships.

Cape moves to the semifinals against top-seeded Salesianum at the Smyrna High School gym. The match is set for 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14. Caesar Rodney will wrestle Smyrna at the same time on an adjacent mat.

"As bad as we wrestled at home Feb. 2, losing to St. Georges 43-29, we were that good tonight,” said Cape coach Chris Mattioni.

Blake Walker at 132 won by tech fall 18-2 over Albert Weismiller, Tripp Gannon at 138 used a third-period takedown to decision Russell Lloyd 14-12, Carson Tuer at 157 pinned Jaden Guther in 2:34 and hard-luck Yusuf Smith at 175 won a 16-9 decision over Maddox Shupe. All four Cape wrestlers lost by fall in the first matchup.

“I got pinned with one second on the clock the first time,” Gannon said.

“I was leading and got caught,” said Walker.

Tuer dropped down from 165 to win at 157, and Smith at 175 avenged an earlier loss by fall to Maddox Shupe (1:28) with a get-in-front-and-stay-there decision.

The quartet laughed at Smith’s pattern of getting the tables turned on him while leading and responding to Mattioni’s challenge to reach down deep to find his grit.

Other winners for Cape were Jack Hudson at 113 over Frank Zitofsky 18-3, Cale Baker at 120 over Billy Pernot 13-2, Austin Guerrieri at 126 with a pin over Maddox Stanley in 1:07, Grayson Davis at 150 with a pin over Isaiah Scott in 0:23 and Nick Walker at 165 with a pin over Jaden Gunter in 1:38.

Cape freshman Andrew Egolf was in the lineup for 106-pounder Nolan Wright who was out with an illness. Egolf wrestled tough before losing to Cameron Mendick 10-6.

Division I dual-meet results: Salesianum over William Penn 50-21; Caesar Rodney over Milford 42-29; Smyrna over Sussex Tech 57-21.

Division II dual-meet results: Delaware Military Academy over Newark Charter 61-3; Indian River over McKean 43-36; Laurel over Saint Mark’s 52-30; Woodbridge over Caravel 49-24.